by J. E. Greenlee
If the following story were not true, it would surely be unbelievable. It is true, however, as you yourself will agree when you read it.
There once was a great king. His love for his people knew no limits. Although the kingdom was very large, the king knew every person by name. Everything the people of the kingdom had was a gift freely given by the loving king. So, to show their love and appreciation to the king for all he had done for them, the people decided to have a great celebration to honor his birthday. Everyone agreed it was a marvelous idea. Preparations for the celebrations were very elaborate. No expense was spared by the people. They adorned their homes with lights, decorations, and expensive ornaments. There were parties, dinners, and celebrations throughout the kingdom.
All the people brought gifts for their friends and family. Many of the gifts which the people gave each other were quite expensive, involving considerable indebtedness. In fact, the people spent more on the birthday celebration then they spent at any other time of the year.
Many who were not citizens of the kingdom, and who did not even know the king, joined in the celebration. Their celebration of the king's birth was marked by excessive drinking. Since they did not know the king, they invented a good-natured, fat fellow in a red suit. He laughed a lot, but never really said anything. But that didn't matter because they were too busy celebrating to listen anyhow.
The day set for the birthday celebration drew near. The gifts which people had brought for each other were piled high. The decorations were beautiful. Huge amounts of food were prepared in all the homes and banquet halls. The king watched eagerly during the preparation. A number of people mentioned him and spoke of what a great king he was. The king waited each day expecting at any time to hear from the people about his role in the celebration. Weeks in advance, he prepared his house to receive the many people who would be coming with their presents for him.
Come back tomorrow for the rest of the story ...
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